Tell us a little bit about your business?
I am an international, motivational speaker, trainer and coach for personal assistants and executive assistants. I am also the author of the book “The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook” which is selling successfully throughout the world. I am currently wring my 2nd book – the advanced version. I am also the UK Chairman for European Management Assistants (EUMA) which is a not for profit voluntary group of PAs and EAs who get together to network with like-minded people and to share knowledge and for their own self development. I have been a member for over 12 years and this is my 3rd year of Chairmanship. I attend at least 2 international EUMA events each year and they are amazing! I will be going to Barcelona in July and Zurich in October and I was in Luxembourg in March with EUMA. In March 2009 I was made redundant and so I decided to start my own training business and from May to December 2010 I worked in France, Johannesburg, Kenya, Bahrain, Qatar, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and of course the UK. At the beginning of June I will be speaking in Dubai and then in Qatar returning to the UK on 7 June. On 18 June I will be flying back to Australia to work in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
What challenges you have faced & how you have overcome them?
I have had 3 jobs in my life (and I’m 53!) and have been made redundant from all 3 jobs! At the time of redundancy it can feel really bad but I truly believe that things happen for a reason and that everything will turn out better in the end even if at the time I don’t know what that would be and it may not feel good at the time. Having this belief can get you through everything.
What advice you would give to other business owners?
If you don’t take risks (calculated risks) then you’ll never know how successful you would have been – you don’t want to be sat in your rocking chair at the age of 90 saying “I wish I had done …….”
What’s your favourite quote?
One of my favourite quotes is:
“if you always do what you always did – you’ll always get what you always got!”
